Spiral guide and tubing holder



Oct. 7, 1941. J. E. HALL SPIRAL GUIDE AND TUBING HOLDER Filed Jan. l5, 1940 Patented Oct. 7, 1941 UNITED STATESV PATENT OFFICE SPIRAL GUIDE AND TUBING HOLDER Jesse E. Hall, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 15, 1940, Serial No. 313,843

5 Claims.

This invention is a pipe guide and well bore cleaner.

It has long been the practice in the deep well industry to centralise a pipe or tubing in a well hole and a device .is shown in Arnold Patent No. 111,418, comprising hollow cylindrical end portions A'-A' and outwardly bowed springs' or metal strips A connecting the same. In the year 1922 it was known to be old to force cement by pressure in a pipe in a well where it was desired to plug a centered pipe. In thus cementing-the tubing the guide or guides at the zone of cementing would be enveloped and of course reinforce the cement about the pipe.

An object of this invention is to provide an Cil improvement wherein a pipe centering holder or guide incorporates means to limit its degree of expansion when in situ on a given pipe or tubing so that if the guide, which also functions as a mud bore hole trowel. should run 'into a bore wall enlargement (plastered with mud) the bowed spring blades will automatically be limited in expanding action as the guide descends or rises at the said bore hole enlargement.

A-further object'is to provide a guide includ# ing helical blades attached rigidly at upper and lower ends to and between suitable body bands which are`relatively movable axially freely in a separating direct-ion, but when mounted on a pipe or other carrier, can move toward each other only to a limited degree to an arbitraryexpansion degree of the bowed blades to protect the wall mud layer from undue bore reaming beyond a desired or normal mud borehole diameter.

An additional object is toprovide a bore cleaner and pipe guide comprising hollow cylindrical'end portions and outwardly bowed springs but which has one of the end portionsor bands' and whose construction, combinations and details of means. and the manner of operation will be made manifest in the description of the here-V with illustrative embodiment; it being understood that'modifications, variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the scope, principle and spirit of the invention as it is more particularly claimed hereinbelow.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the fully ex- Ap'anded or free and unmounted cleaner and rigidly fixed o n thev pipe or tubing and has means for limiting the expanding actionV of the bowed devices or blades as the pipe and its guides may lbe moved upwardly as one unit and in which the upper bands of the. guides is yleldably slidable toward its respective limiting means. In this invention each guide is pushed upwardly in the well bore by its bottom -band`and the'guide is alsol pulled downwardly by its bottom bandj and means are provided to prevent the squashing of thebowed blades as the pipe moves upwardly,v

` and conversely'to prevent over-expansion oi' the blades as the guides may move into a boreen-y largement along the hole. The present invention aims to put the blades under tension when the pipe is moving downwardly and to put them under pressure when moving upwardly in a well guide. Figure 2 is a side elevation of one of the guides mounted on a pipe and as in normaL/wall engaging position. Figure 3 is a side elevation of the mounted guide and expanded `in a hole venlargement to a gaged or stopped limit (and lndicates the squashing limit of the 'guide in event of its being pushed upin the well bore). Figure 4 is a diagram oi' diameter variations oi' the spring system of the guide.

the device into or from a given size well hole." -The lower band 3 ls rigidly fixed in any suitable manner, preferably by welding, to the pipe 4 so that the set of blades 2 is either pulled down with the pipe or is pushed by the pipe as this ispulled.

The blades 2 converge toward each other at their upper ends and are rigidly xed in any suitable manner to the lower end oi' a hollow cylindrical body or band 5 which slidably lits the 'given pipe. The springs or blades 2 have the normal tendency to expand to their full capacity as shown in Fig. 1 and draw the upper band 5 downwardly on the pipe. Furthermore if the guide is pushed upwardly by the lower band 3 there is an additionnel spreading eiTort on the blades especially if there is much resistance on A suitable number oi like, bowed and helically blades which bulges them to an undesired degree.

Therefore, the notable feature of this invention is the incorporation of means, iirst, to limit the expansion of the blades 2 when mounted on the pipe l, to a predetermined gage limit, clearly indicated in Fig. 3, and, second, to prevent the squashing of the blades laterally when being I mentally in a helical slot il in the band, com.

plementary to the'pitoh of the blades 2; the key being so fixed as to be engaged by the end wall i3 of the slot il in the given gage position of the upper band 5, Fig. 3, to stop expansion of the bowed blades 2. The baud 5 slidesupwardly on the fixed key il? and on the pipe when the guide blades are forced into a given size bore hole and the blades are inwardly fiexed and their diameter contracted to position W, Fig. 4, and as in Fig. 2; this condition arising when the guide blade ride on a rm layer of circulation mud pumped down the hole; Fig. 2 showing the contracted blades, and the upper band 5 being pushed upwardly relative to the top end of the key E@ which still rides in the slot i E It will be seen that on pulling the pipe d. if the upper band 5 moves down and engages the stopping key it then both bands are in eiect rigid and the blades cannot be over bulged in the hole. When the band d stops on the up per end of the key ill, Fig. 3, the springs cannot expand beyond the degree determined by gaging key iii; shown at G, Fig. .4, but when the springs engage a wall they are squeezed in more and the band 5 is pushed up from the stop lil, Fig. 2.

Lu normal operation, in a given size well hole, the mud plaster on the formation face will set up enough resistance' to compress the blades d age working circle mean of the blades at the girth, or mid length.

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaner, guide and reinforcing holder for a well tube or pipe element, having, in combination, upper and lower bands one of which is rigidly xed to the said element, limited expansion bowed spring blades all with upper and lower ends rigidly attached to and spacing the bands for holding the element in centered position in a well bore, and one of the bands movable axially on the element as to the fixed band, and means engaging the movable band to Limit the expansion of the mounted blades.

2. The holder of claim' l, and said means including a stop spline iixed on the element and engaging, and limiting the squashing mot-ion of, the movable band.

3. In a holder of the class described, a pair of coaxial, spaced bands connected by bowed spring blades which permit relative axial movement of the bands, a carrier on which one of the blades is rigidly fixed at an arbitrary point for both raising and lowering the applied holder, the other band being loosely mounted on the carrier, and means fixed at an arbitrary point on the carrier and engaging the loose band to limit expansion of the mounted blades and to positively stop undue rotation of the loose band on the carrier.

d. The holder of claim. 3, and said means including a stop key one end of which engages the movable band to limit blade expansion.

5. In a holder of the class described, a pair of coaxial, spaced bands connected by helical, bowed spring blades which permit relative axial movement of the bands, a carrier element on'which one of the bands is rigidly xed for both raising and lowering of the applied hol-der and the other band being loosely mounted on the carrier, and means fixed at an arbitrary point on the carrier and engaging the loose band to limit expansion of the said blades as to the element and to positively guide the slidable band in a helical motion and stop undue rotation thereof; said stop means including a helical key nxed on the carrier and the movable band 'having a slot complementary to the key.

JESSE E. HAIL. 

